"Illumination", quinto album della band norvegese, apre un nuovo capitolo nella loro discografia. Le caratteristiche, che anche un ascoltatore non molto esperto può cogliere, sono numerosissime; esse lo differenziano molto dai precedenti lavori della band.
Ovviamente confrontandolo con per esempio "Beyond the veil" o "Widow's weeds" troviamo la mancanza del growl death di Morten Veland (che lasciò poi i Tristania verso il 2000), un fattore non da sottovalutare, che però ha dato successivamente maggior spazio alla maravigliosa voce della Stene. Appunto, è su di lei che secondo me gira intorno tutto l'album: ha il quasi totale controllo di ogni canzone, riesce ad arrivare a registri vocali altissimi (vedere "Open Ground") e diciamocelo che a differenza di altre singer non riesce mai ad annoiare.
Anche il loro genere è molto cambiato. Nei lavori iniziali molti giustamente parlano di un Gothic/Metal romantico che poi più tardi presenterà anche accenni sul Power e adesso con questo ultimo cd (uscito tra l'altro da pochi giorni) la band cambia ancora stile differenziandolo anche da "Ashes". Ora i cori gotici, gregoriani e cosi' via… sono quasi del tutto scomparsi e le chitarre emergono sempre più. Vibeke canta come una cantante lirica (per certi versi assomiglia molto alla Turunen dei Nightwish).
Passiamo alle tracks. Le migliori secondo me sono le prime 6, soprattutto "Open ground", "Destination departure", "Sanguine sky" e "The Ravens". Dove la voce femminile è favolosa, che si intreccia a sua volta con quella maschile (quest'ultima oramai è molto più sciolta e fuori da i soliti registri del growl).
Alla luce di ciò i Tristania hanno dato un'ennesima grande prova della loro bravura, che anche se "l'amato Veland " lasciò il gruppo loro riuscirono e riescono ancora a mantenere gli stessi livelli di una volta, forse addirittura in meglio. "Ashes", l'album precedente, seppur bello non è stato compreso , invece "Illumination" apre uno spiraglio di luce in mezzo a questo genere in rovina, ultima ruota del Metal.. dove non sono rare band 'cloni' o album identici. Quindi lo consiglio principalmente a tutti gli amanti del genere.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Sanguine Sky (03:50)
Vibeke:
My blood is tainted
I serve you
A setting sun bleeding
Into an ocean of tears for you
Into an ocean of tears for you
�sten:
It's an exodus
From the dark
The night is breathing
The night is exhaling
Falling, falling
Up the staircase
Towards the moon, the stars,
And the Venus-kissed Mars
Maybe ever-worry Mars
Vibeke & �sten:
Blood runs silent
The stains grow darker
And a spite is eating at me
I see the dead awaken
My fate forsaken
And free
�sten
I am talking
On a hidden line
She says she is thieving
She says she is dead
She says there is a downward spiral
From the moon, the stars,
Maybe ever-worry Mars
The ever-worry Mars
Vibeke & �sten
Blood runs silent
The stains grow darker
And a spite's eating at me
I see the dead awaken
My fate forsaken
And free
Vibeke:
(Ah...)
Vibeke & �sten:
Blood runs silent
The stains grow darker
And a spite is eating at me
I see the dead awaken
My fate forsaken
And free
Blood runs silent
The stains grow darker
And a spite is eating at me
I see the dead awaken
My fate forsaken
And free
03 Open Ground (04:40)
Digging in the ground
Digging in the mud
Sweat streams down my face
My spit tastes like blood
Hide me with locks from your hair
I cannot breathe
Bleeding â?¦
Dying â?¦
Digging â?¦
Falling apart
The torch went out
The room went dark
Running in the fog
Crawling through the mud
Tears fall down my face
My spit tastes like blood
Cover me with locks from your hair
Through my mind
My driven mind
We both knew
Love is blind
Insanity is always near
Deep in my bag full of fear
I cannot see
The pain that trigged your screams
I cannot see
From the corner of my eye
I feel them closing in
I know they caught the scent of me
And then they went for meâ?¦
I chose for you to stay with me
05 Destination Departure (04:34)
Vibeke:
Caressing the anger
Nothing will ever be the same again
At you are most beautiful
At you are most beautiful
This is my destination
Left behind in desolation
At you are most beautiful
At you are most beautiful
Leave me
You talk like you know, but you don't
And it shows
She should have out-lived me
I listened before, but I can't any more
So just leave me
I tried so hard
To find something that I
Could believe in
But there's nothing there
So there's nothing to feel
Østen
Who's gonna be here
If you want me to leave?
Who's gonna be here?
Vibeke
Caressing the anger
This is my destination
But you are most beautiful
But you are most beautiful
Leave me
You talk like you know, but you don't
And it shows
She should have out-lived me
I listened before, but I can't any more
So just leave me
I tried so hard
To find something that I
Could believe in
But there's nothing there
And there's no-one who cares
Østen
Who's gonna be here
If you want me to leave?
Who's gonna be here
If you want me to leave?
Who's gonna end it
When you cannot make it stop?
Can you hang on for today?
06 Down (04:32)
My violent mood swings peak
And my hands are as heavy as rocks
I have no time and no space
I am falling behind
Just take me home
My patience has all run out
And I feel like yelling; - it is too much
I have abandoned all charm and all grace
I have fallen behind
There is no god
The night is cursed
Loud and blurred
Still it rains
It rains like hell
Rain on empty shells
My violent mood swings peak
And my hands are as heavy as rocks
I have no time and no space
I have fallen behind
There is no god
Screaming voices
Ring in my ears
I don't want to know their names
07 Fate (04:59)
I've been trying to participate
in masquerades
The throne's been empty for too long
Paradise for those who play along
and the fortunate ones
I've been listening to the voice
at night
And he is right
I am the chosen one
And my shepherd, he has paid my ride
I will go with a smile
I've been begging for the public eye
Now watch me fly
Can you see what I?ve become
So expose me - I shall be released
When the flesh paints the street
I was walking through the valley of
the living dead
Did not count the tears I shed
Always chasing those elusive dreams
A drop of blood in the stream
11 Deadlands (06:39)
I failed to impress you, and you
Feel free to abuse me
All has been in vain
We're through
So please stop pretending
Years I spent were wasted on you
Words have been spoken
My chains have been broken
This street has an end, I have failed
Never will again
My life was invaded by you
This image of straws that break against the wind
We're through
But the world keeps spinning
Endlessly I have no answers for you
Weight off my shoulders
Unleashed
No more hiding...
Leaving deadlands
Release me
On your own
Bitter and old
Dead and gone
Carved in stone
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Altre recensioni
Di lovelorn
"Illumination è stato il suo canto del cigno, senza ombra di dubbio la sua migliore prova in studio."
"Questo album è la consacrazione definitiva dei Tristania nell'olimpo del gothic metal."
